Ronda Rousey has spent her entire professional life thriving in the center of a storm. From the gold-medal intensity of the Olympic judo mats to the clinical brutality of the UFC Octagon, the “Rowdy” one built a legacy on the ability to dictate the terms of a fight. But in the scripted world of sports entertainment, Rousey recently revealed that the one thing she couldn’t control was the chaos behind the curtain.
As Rousey prepares for a highly anticipated return to combat sports—facing Gina Carano in a bout organized by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) on Netflix—she is taking the opportunity to settle some old scores with her time in the ring. In a candid reflection on her second tenure with WWE, Rousey didn’t hold back, describing the experience as a “s*** show” defined by systemic dysfunction and a breakdown in communication.
For a woman who has faced the world’s most dangerous fighters, the anxiety of the WWE boardroom proved more taxing than the physicality of the match. Rousey’s critique centers on the final years of former chairman Vince McMahon’s leadership, a period she describes as marked by instability and a lack of professional collaboration.
The Chaos of the Late McMahon Era
Rousey’s second run in WWE began with a triumphant return at the 2022 Royal Rumble, but the momentum quickly collided with what she describes as a crumbling internal infrastructure. Speaking with Complex News, Rousey detailed a work environment where stability was non-existent and direction was often improvised minutes before the cameras rolled.
“The second run, Vince was just more far gone and more difficult to work with and there was a lot of inner turmoil going on in the company,” Rousey told Complex News. “It was kind of a s*** show. Nobody ever knew what was going on, and you would get to the arena and be made to do something that somebody threw in your lap that hadn’t thought about it until 15 minutes before.”
According to Rousey, the lack of a cohesive plan turned the creative process into a source of dread. She noted that “everything was super last minute and not well thought out,” leaving performers in a state of constant flux. For a seasoned athlete used to rigorous training camps and defined strategies, this lack of “back-and-forth” communication was more than a nuisance—it was a professional hurdle that stripped the joy from the performance.
The frustration extended beyond mere scheduling. Rousey characterized her attempts to collaborate on her character and storylines as “negotiations” rather than partnerships. In her view, the environment had shifted from a shared goal of creating great entertainment to a rigid, top-down mandate that left little room for athlete input.
Anxiety in the Squared Circle
While Rousey has always maintained her love for the actual act of wrestling and performing in the ring, she admitted that the mental toll of the backstage environment eventually outweighed the rewards. She described the experience as a “clusterf*** s*** show” that generated more anxiety than it was worth, leading her to look back on that specific era of her career without fondness.
This internal turmoil coincided with a broader shift in WWE’s corporate structure. For years, the industry had whispered about the volatility of McMahon’s leadership style, but Rousey’s account provides a visceral look at how that volatility affected the talent’s mental health and job satisfaction.
The transition of power within WWE eventually saw Paul “Triple H” Levesque take over the creative reins. Rousey noted that she was “definitely team Triple H” during the transition, acknowledging the widespread sentiment that the company’s culture has improved under his leadership. However, she expressed a tinge of regret that her exit preceded the positive changes.
“I’ve heard it’s been much better since he’s taken things over, but unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it,” she told Complex News.
A Timeline of Rousey’s WWE Transitions
To understand the trajectory of Rousey’s relationship with the company, it is helpful to look at the bookends of her involvement, from her initial disruptive entrance to her final televised appearances.
| Period/Event | Key Milestone | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Initial WWE Run | Rapid ascent to SmackDown Women’s Champion; high-profile main events. |
| Jan 2022 | Royal Rumble Return | Marked the start of her second run and return to the spotlight. |
| Aug 2023 | SummerSlam Match | Final major appearance in a match against friend Shayna Baszler. |
| 2024/2025 | MVP / Netflix Pivot | Return to combat sports, moving away from scripted entertainment. |
The Pivot Back to Combat Sports
The timing of Rousey’s reflections is no coincidence. By speaking out now, she is effectively closing the chapter on the “sports entertainment” portion of her life to re-establish herself as a legitimate combat athlete. Her upcoming fight against Gina Carano is a “clash of the titans” moment for the MVP promotion, leveraging the massive reach of Netflix to bring a combat-sports audience back to the forefront.
This move represents a return to the environment where Rousey felt most in control: a regulated fight with clear rules and a defined objective. Unlike the “last minute” nature of the WWE creative process, a fight booked by MVP follows the traditional combat sports trajectory of training camps, weigh-ins, and a definitive result.
For the fans and stakeholders of the industry, Rousey’s comments serve as a post-mortem on the McMahon era, highlighting the human cost of a “top-down” management style in a creative industry. It underscores a broader trend of athletes seeking more autonomy and professional respect in their contracts, regardless of the size of the platform.
Rousey and Carano are scheduled to face off this weekend in an event that aims to blend high-level athleticism with the spectacle of a global streaming debut. All eyes will be on the ring to see if the “Rowdy” one can recapture the dominance that first made her a household name.
For more updates on this event and official fight details, visit the Most Valuable Promotions official site.
Do you think the “Triple H era” has truly fixed the culture at WWE, or are these growing pains inevitable for a company of that size? Let us know in the comments and share this story with your fellow fans.
(h/t Wrestling Inc. For the transcription of the Complex News interview.)
